Thomas Study
John 20:24-31
- Why do you think Thomas was not with the rest of the disciples when Jesus appeared to them? (He was a loner, He was sorting things out, He thought it was all over, He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.)
- What was Thomas saying in (v 25) "Unless I see the nail marks ...? (You guys are crazy, I need proof, I want to believe but..., Don't break my heart again.)
- How did Jesus deal with Thomas? (Harshly, Tenderly, By waiting until he was ready, With the evidence he asked for.)
- What do you think happened to Thomas' faith after this? (He believed from this point on, He never got past his doubts, Voicing his doubts helped him have a stronger faith than those who never admit such things, He always felt guilty for his doubts - this crippled his faith.)
- What did Jesus mean by (v 29) ? (You will be happier if you do not doubt, You don't have to see me to believe, God calls you to be faithful even when you don't see clearly, You blew it, Thomas.)
- What do you rely upon for spiritual "proof"? (A feeling of peace, Simple faith, What my church teaches, What makes sense & is logical, What the Bible says, What my christian friends say.)
- When you have had struggles in your faith, what have you found helpful?
- When you have doubts, what does that mean? (My faith is weak, I need more information, I need a spiritual checkup, Growth is taking place.)
- When you have doubts - how does it make you feel to know ... Jesus invited Thomas to inspect his wounds, Jesus said that those who believe without seeing are blessed, John wrote this (v 31) so you believe (or continue to believe) that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name?